MediLodge of Sterling earns assisted living quality award

Jeff Patrus

MediLodge of Sterling has been recognized as a 2010 recipient of the Bronze â€“ Commitment to Quality National Quality Award presented by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL). Staff members were honored at an Aug. 26 reception at the Fairway Bistro in West Branch. Pictured are: (front, from left) Theresa Rice, Activities Director at MediLodge of Sterling; Sharon Wing, Nursing Home Administrator; Suzy Kohlhoff, Director of Nursing; (back, from left) Greg Raymond, Therapy Program Manager; Mary Deel, Human Resources Manager; Kelly Kimball, Director of Admissions and Marketing; Renee Boakes, Clinical Supervisor; and David Miller, Maintenance Director.

MediLodge was recently named as a recipient of the Bronze â€” Commitment to Quality National Quality Award, presented by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living. According to Kelly Kimball, Director of Admissions and Marketing for MediLodge of Sterling, this was the first time the facility has formally submitted an entry for the award.

â€śWeâ€™ve never applied for it,â€ť she said. â€śItâ€™s a big thing for us. It shows the quality of care we give. Weâ€™re really excited about it.â€ť

According to an Aug. 24 press release from the AHCA/NCAL, 701 nursing homes and assisted living communities from across the nation applied for the Bronze Quality Award and MediLodge of Sterling was one of over 450 organizations to receive the award. The AHCA/NCAL is scheduled to formally recognize the facility during the AHCA/NCALâ€™s 61st annual convention, scheduled for Oct. 10-13 in Long Beach, Cal.

MediLodge Nursing Home Administrator Sharon Wing said she found out June 30 that the facility had received the award. She said she did not expect the facility to receive the award on its first attempt.

â€śThe first time you apply, you donâ€™t normally win it,â€ť she said. â€śYou normally get feedback. Weâ€™ve been working on quality for the last two years. We felt we were ready.â€ť

Wings said the facility has 126 employees and can serve up to 104 patients.

The bronze level award is one of three that is awarded by the AHCA/NACL, Kimball said. The other two are the Silver â€” Achievement in Quality award and the Gold â€” Excellence in Quality aware. Kimball said the other two awards also entail an application process, and facilities that apply for the award have to provide documentation indicating that they are meeting a certain level of care and quality.

Kimball said that MediLodge of Sterling intends to apply for the Silver â€” Achievement in Quality award next year.